Explore a conference talk that delves into the importance of serializability in database systems. Learn about the challenges of distributed databases, the benefits of strong consistency guarantees, and why serializability should not be abandoned. Discover various consistency models, including eventual consistency, sequential consistency, and external consistency. Examine the CAP theorem and its implications for database design. Gain insights into transaction execution techniques and research directions in improving database performance while maintaining strong consistency. Understand the trade-offs between consistency and performance, and why serializability remains a crucial concept in modern database systems.